How Sirius Black survived the night of the Ministry, Severus will never understand. Especially when the Potter boy screamed, his animalistic wail tearing through the auditorium like a lone doomsday siren.
But he came back.
Rising out of the veil like some mockery of Jesus Christ rising out of the veil, head back and eyes closed. Arms dangling limply at his sides. He was still wearing the same clothes he had on; the patchwork denim jacket, the flared jeans and the dragonhide laced up boots (which were definitely worth a small fortune back when they were first bought, probably back in the late seventies). But something was off.
There was red; all *over* him, deep red splatters that made him look like some modern artists artwork. Blood, Severus soon realised.
Then Black somehow miraculously had his wand in hand, striking it down so abruptly and with that, an unknown curse shot of his wand- travelling directly towards Bellatrix Lestrange, which upon hitting her, quickly skinned her alive as though she were a fish, her screams rattling the chamber before another curse from some one from the order quickly killed her.
Black looked one second away from curling into a ball, grey eyes wild and hands shaking. Black hair frizzed up like some Godly halo.
Severus found himself in the Headmaster’s office again. A chill ran down his spine from having just watched a getting skinned before him in the memory, and the Slytherin took a step away from the Pensieve.
Severus looked towards Dumbledore, and the older man did indeed look troubled. The Headmaster inclined his head, and Severus took the opportunity to take a seat in one of the colourfully padded armchairs across from the Headmaster, as he too took his own seat behind his Sierra redwood desk. Severus just stopped himself from compulsively nervously swallowing, choosing to fold his spindly hands over his Black robed-clad-lap.
No one said a word for several moments, before the Headmaster finally coughed into his hand, wrinkled but nonetheless alive despite his age. “No one expected him to come back after he fell through the veil, much less covered in blood and looking as though he had spent far more time in there then we were aware.”
“Did Black divulge you with any information as to *why* he looked as though he was mauled by a hippogriff?”
“No, but he did share some rather choice word with me.”
“As in?”
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Severus, looking almost sheepish. “You may have to use your imagination my dear Severus.”
So he swore at Dumbledore then.
Dumbledore’s brow was furrowed, and he seemed to be the most unsettled than Severus had ever seen him. “He…” The Headmaster hesitated. “He called me a manipulative schemer. With a few other choice words in-between.”
Severus’s brow furrowed himself, though he did not completely respond to the Headmasters statement. “Did he inform anyone else exactly what happened?”
The Headmaster shook his head. “No. He wouldn’t say a word to anyone.”
…
There was an order meeting taking place at Grimmauld once again, everyone huddled around the kitchen table and within a room of peeling maroon wallpaper and finished with dark ebony wood kitchen cabinets and white marble countertops.
The atmosphere was stiff and the air stale, even though Mrs Weasley had cooked up a storm. Potter, Granger, and the youngest of the Weasley’s both sat there too, near Black whose face looked stormy as he sat at the head of the table. As Severus took a step into the room, he could see the looks the other order members (bar the teenagers) shared; looks of distrust directed towards Black, more than what there used to be.
Black’s eyes connected with his, the rugged man’s eyes widening as they set their sights on him, written within them an emotion that Severus could not identify.
But then Molly muttered under her breath, about how children should not be in these meetings, and Severus was sure that Sirius was going to start yelling, but he did not. He merely turned his gaze onto Molly, his eyes seeming almost lifeless as he responded; “It’s not my choice, its Harry’s. I don’t make the calls. But Harry, I would advise you to perhaps not attend some of these meetings.”
An unconscious shiver ran down Severus’s spine the second time that week. There was something *wrong* with Black, and not in the way he had always said there was, as Potter is angrily yelling at Sirius as the man sat and takes it, while Molly and the rest of the order looked flabbergasted at the ex-prisoner’s change of heart not to include Harry.
…
Black’s breath smelt of stagnant liquor, though for once Severus had to inwardly admit that the other man wasn’t drunk like he had spent two-thirds of last year as; inebriated to block whatever sights he had witnessed in Azkaban.
Severus had been a drunkard once in his youth, after he found his mother’s dead corpse on the kitchen floor of their home after coming back from Hogwarts in his fifth year- cradled in his father’s arms as Tobius Snape sobbed- she had hit her head on the kitchen counter after slipping and falling on what Severus could only imagine was some spilt beer his father had walked into the home with earlier that morning. He became a drunkard for a time again when a letter was sent to him from a borrowed owl from the Evans family that his father had passed after being killed on his way home from the pub in his seventh year. Probably killed for owing a bet or money of some description.
But Severus was stronger now, and he had never touched a glass of alcohol, even at Deatheater meetings where they would very occasionally drink and dine. The other Deatheater’s call him miserable, a virgin to both liquor and sex quietly between one another as they stare down their nose at him. They half right of course, but Severus didn’t feel the need to change his virgin status or to drink, just to stop the *dainty* sensibilities of his fellow Deatheater’s from getting hurt.
“What do you want mutt?” Snape spat. This was the third consecutive order meeting where Sirius had stared at Snape, yet never met the eye of Dumbledore, nor deigned to have a conversation with the Headmaster himself, despite his sure insistence. Severus had even head Black murmur towards Albus “Get the fuck away from me, you backstabbing cunt.” As he stared at the Headmaster’s now black and withered hand in faint disgust.
But this time, Black had grabbed Severus’s wrist and dragged him out of the kitchen and into the drawing room as soon as the meeting dispersed.
Severus ripped his hand away from the man, taking a step back from the other as his hands went to his side, ready to rapidly draw out his wand and curse the other if need be. “Going crazy already are you Black? You think that I am another Potter scum that you can molest all you like.” Severus knew that he was physically no harm to the Potter spawn, though there was a possibility that he could make the boy more mentally retarded than he already is.
“You know.” Black stated, not taking the bait for once. “This entire time, you were… you…” Black couldn’t seem to come up with any other way to phrase it, hand nervously rubbing a dark silver pendant that hung from his neck. “You-“
“-know that you are an imbecilic pillock, why yes I do.”
“No!” Black ran his hands over his face, finally looking a little agitated. They finally fell at his sides, and he took a deep breath, staring at Severus. They both were roughly the same house, though perhaps Black was roughly two or three inches taller, which was another thing Severus despised about the man. “Look, I am sorry. About everything! About how we treated- me especially- treated you at school. About the cruel pranks, the words, the… the whole thing with Remus, that was never him that thought of doing it, nor James, it was all me! Um, the… *the* unveiling knickers in front of the entire school-“
Severus saw red and drew his wand, which immediately was prodding Black’s throat before he could say anything else. “Speak another word of that aloud and I swear mutt you will have to eat from a silver saucer on the floor like the dog you are, your arms and legs will be so mangled.”
The other man swallowed, hands up in surrender. Severus watched Black’s Adam’s apple rise and fall under a thin dark sprinkling of newly grown dark bearded hair. Black’s voice was softer, eye’s staring at Severus in a way that made him vaguely uncomfortable. “I am sorry, and I *do* mean it, whether you will ever forgive me or not, its not my call…” the silence hung heavy in the air for several moments; Severus dark eyes narrowed as he warily watched Black, and Black’s grey eyes that watched back. His eye’s reminded Severus of the knife they had given Severus that they had found at the scene of the crime of whoever killed his father, oddly enough, and Severus could not figure out why such an obtrusive thought had popped into his head like that.
…
In a weird spiralling of events, Severus found himself spending more and more time with Black, though not by choice however.
It started with Black approaching Severus before and after every meeting, lightly chatting to Severus; which only garnered a snarl from him each and every time.
“Hello Severus, keeping up with the marking? Must be a pain in the arse to read some of their stuff.” Black would say as he wandered to where Severus stood, standing stiff like a plastic houseplant on the outskirts of the room during one meeting.
“Fuck off Black. Just because you gave me a rather dismal display of an apology, doesn’t mean I am willing to tolerate your presence.””
Black raised his hands in surrender, “Fine fine, but meet me after the meeting in the drawing room, will you? Please?”
Snape’s eyes narrowed, but he gave the barest of nods. Black gave the barest of smiles in return, before scooting towards a perplexed werewolf who looked shocked by the almost civility shared between them. Lupin whispered something to Black, giving Severus a side eye as Black merely shrugged.
…
Later on in the drawing room, Severus already found Black there, to which he gestured to a pile of books that sat upon the Victorian-styled coffee table. Black cast a quick silencing charm outside of the room, followed by a locking charm, so no one outside the room could come in.
“You know you are allowed as much access to the Black library as you like, right?”
Severus knows for a fact that he has never been allowed access to the Black library. It feels like a trap. “What do you want Black.”
Sirius shrugged, relaxing in the couch he was in, looking all the picture of a Black heir. Oh how Severus despised him.
“I have been meaning to find information about something… I was hoping you would help me.”
Severus’s jaw tightened, glaring through a curtain of hair at the other. “Why not get you wolf mutt to help you? He was always the one carrying you all throughout your academic endeavours at school.” Which was not entirely true; to be fair, Lupin had always been better at charms, Potter Sr at Transfiguration, and Sirius Black at Defence.
Black was silent for a moment, before he eventually spoke. “To put it quite simply, I know I can trust you. Whether you hate me or not, I know that you won’t give up until we have an answer.”
Severus was momentarily shocked by the statement, before he glowered. “So you are trying to use me? I get it now, mutt, that’s why you decided to befriend me-“
“For fuck sake Snape!” And before Severus could process the situation he was cornered into the wall, Black’s hands on Severus wrist.
Severus snarled, before spitting into the mutt’s face, which caused Black to loosen his hold and yell, enough so that Severus could knee him in the balls.
Black crumpled to the floor, and in a swish of robes, Snape left the room. The Shit-head-Trio quickly moved out of the way from when Severus stormed through the door, where the trio had surely been attempting to eves-drop.
…
This time, Severus *was* here to raid some of the books from the Black library, as much as he did not want to go. But Dumbledore wanted him to research a particular topic that could only be found in a library as dark and illegal as the Black family library.
He passed the Potter spawn as he strode into the kitchen, who gave him a dirty look from where he sat alone on a kitchen chair as he ate his crumbling over-burnt toast. If Black wasn’t fighting nearly as much as he used to at order meetings, he at the very least fought for Harry to stay at Grimmauld, saying as he stared a shocked Dumbledore down that at least Harry wouldn’t be in a house with a bunch of adults who wanted to do nothing more but sit back and let the kids do all the work. Black said that he wouldn’t let any adult sit back and not protect Harry because of the ‘Greater Good’. Dumbledore had look faintly ill at that.
Severus took a flight of stairs before turning right to find the two large doors that opened up to the library, as soon as he walked in, he groaned.
Black sat at one of the desks, furiously scribbling with a quill as several stacks of books sat around him. Thick dark eyebrows drawn out in concentration as he wore a loose cream band T-shirt with a spaceship and an abbreviated ‘ELO’. The muggle band ‘The Electric Light Orchestra’ Severus soon realised. Not his taste, but an admittedly great band, not that Severus would ever admit that to Black.
Speaking of which, Black glanced up, and Severus could see that the man looked more ragged then ever. The faint silage of the man’s perspiration permeated the room. Severus wrinkled his nose as he closed the door of the library with a loud creak. “When did you last shower mutt?”
“Haven’t since you kneed me in the ball’s and ran away. That hurt, just so you know.
Severus clenched his fists, glowering and ruffling up like an angry black cat. “You were the one that grabbed me.”
“And I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, I’m just…” Sirius sighed, letting his hands catch his head as his elbows sat on the desk. He was rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.
Severus had admittedly never seen the other so vulnerable in his life, if at all. It was unnerving, yet Severus couldn’t figure out why.
Maybe because Black had always been so tall and proud, even as he wore moth-eaten weathered Azkaban clothes in the Shrieking shack that night.
Severus felt himself walking forward without even thinking, walking until he stood behind Black, peering over his shoulder. “This doesn’t look like something you ought to be reading as an Order member.” The text was excessively dark, even by his standards. Severus furrowed his brow. “What are you looking for?”
“I’ll tell you if you don’t immediately report back to Dumbledore… and if you help me with some of the research.” Sirius withdrew his face from his hands, tilting his head to the side to watch Severus from the corner of his eye. From this position, Severus could easily kill Black like he always wanted to, slit his throat with a cutting curse, strangle him with his own hands…
Severus took a step back. “Go have a shower and then I may be more inclined to help you…”
Black’s face morphed into a giant grin that instantly made Severus wish he had told the man to fuck off, even if the sudden cheeriness was a good look on him. Black practically leapt out of his seat. “Righto’ then, won’t be too long!”
He was out the door before Severus could continue to contemplate his past ideas to murder Black.
The man was back in no less than ten minutes, as though he were afraid that Severus would disappear into thin air; a pair of navy blue jeans and another T-shirt- this time featuring Pink (more Severus’s tastes, but he would never admit that to Black either) with damp patches all over.
And what must be the most prominent nipples busting through a man’s cotton shirt he had ever seen.
Severus glanced away, not even wanting to look at the rest of black, with his shaggy wet hair and his eager eyes.
“What is it that you working on Black?” He had spent his time looking for the research material he needed for Dumbledore while he waited for Black to shower, so if any bullshit with the imbecile went down, he could quickly grab his stack of books and *leave*.
He had only bothered to stay because he was curious as to what Black was hiding from Dumbledore.
Black closed the library door, putting a silencing charm on it, probably so Potter wouldn’t hear, before making his way past Severus and around to the table where we flipped open a book before turning it to him. “Horcruxes.”
Severus frowned, he had never heard of them. As much as he didn’t want to admit to not knowing something, he was forced to concede and tell Black as much.
Sirius nodded, seeming to accept that, no judgement in his gaze. “A horcrux is when you split your very soul with magic- usually done through a blood ritual where a human sacrifice has to be made. Doing so will inevitably grant you immortality.” He tilted his head, his gaze unnerving. “Who do you believe would be crazy enough to do something like that?”
Severus’s blood suddenly ran cold. No… “The Dark Lord.”
“Bingo.” Black responded as he rested his palms on the table top as he stared down at the upside-down book. “Except the mad cunt made seven of them. They rest within a bunch of random objects, and they are extremely hard to kill, let alone track down.”
“How do you know-“
“When I fell through the veil.” Black responded, hand reaching out for the pendant at his neck again. “But it came with a price.”
“Like?”
“Like…” Black took a deep breath, as though trying to calm down his nerves. “Like making a horcrux for myself, in order to live and come back from beyond the veil.”
…
Severus didn’t inform Dumbledore of this development.
He didn’t know why he did this, despite his years of loyalty to him.
…
“YOU KNEW!” Severus roared at Black as he stormed into the loungeroom of Grimmauld place. Hogwarts was back up and running, and he really ought to be in bed right now so he didn’t *accidentally* murder the little ferals tomorrow, especially since he was no longer a potions Professor and couldn’t merely blame it on a stray potion explosion anymore. But Dumbledore had just told him about the horcruxes, about Harry-
Black was cradling a glass of some cheap muggle brandy in hand, having just what seems to be a staring contest with the golden liquid before Severus’s arrival. “Yes, I did.”
“AND YOU ARE WILLING TO SEND POTTER TO HIS DEATH TOO-“
“OF COURSE FUCKING NOT!” Sirius yelled, rapidly on his feet as his drink swirled dangerously close to the rim. “YOU THINK I WOULD-“
“I THINK YOU WOULD DO A LOT OF ATROCIOUS THINGS, INCLUDING CREATING A HORCRUX FOR YOURSELF-“
“ONLY TO PROTECT HARRY-“
“BY KILLING SOMEONE ELSE?!?” It was hypocritical of Severus to say, but he was never one to judge others be his own moral compass. “YOU PROBABLY KILLED AN INNOCENT MAN-“
“HE WAS NOT INNOCENT!” Sirius screamed, eyes flaring with pain as he swung his arm out, drink spilling all over the carpet. “FROM WHAT I GATHERED, HE WAS A FUCKING MEAN SPIRITED CUNT, JUST LIKE YOU!”
While it was awfully muggle and something Severus tried to stay away from, he found himself throwing a punch at Black, a side of him he dared never to show to Dumbledore but to Black, that was okay. Because why Black always seemed to reveal his real side, his anger and rage and his muggle background, he could still kill Black and bury him in a bottomless pit, never to be found again.
The glass fell and smashed onto the floor.
Both of their hands were on each other now, punching and biting and trying to tear each other a part is the most violent way possible.
Black punched him in the stomach.
Severus punched Black in the throat.
Black clawed at his arms.
Severus served Black with a well-placed ‘Liverpool kiss’.
He had both gained a black eye (a rather fitting name) and blood was pouring from Black’s now crooked nose as well by the time they seemed to stop, and despite the fact that he found himself pinned to floor of the Black library underneath Black, he found himself feeling rather victorious, what with how banged up Black looked compared to his own bruised cheek and busted lip.
He smirked, his chest puffing up, even through he could barely move under Black’s pinned weight, the bigger man’s legs crossed over his own to stop Severus from kneeing him in the balls again.
Severus felt his pants tighten around his crotch, much to his horror, and he saw Black glance down, and he knew instantly that the other man had noticed the tenting through his robes.
Fuck.
But then Black’s hips dipped, grinding them against his, and Severus could clearly feel the others erection against his own. Black never alleviated the pressure from his arms and legs, and Severus could move- and the feeling of that tickling kind of pleasure that travels throughout your body like a flickering fire-
*Fuck*.
…
Did Severus have sex with Black? Yes.
Was he fucked on the floor of the library, Severus flipped on stomach as his legs are still restrained by Black’s own, Severus’s robes flipped up and almost covering the back of his head as Black fucked him into purgatory? Yes.
With Umbridge being such a pain in the arse the following week, was Severus tempted to go back to Black just to let off some steam? Yes.
But let it be clear, Severus is not a desperate.
…
Potter was shuffling on his feet as he waited by the door of the almost empty Defence classroom. Severus withheld the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.
“Yes Mr Potter?”
“Ummm,” Potter looked unsure of how to proceed.
Severus growled, “Spit it out, what do you want boy?”
Potter grimaced, looking even more unsure until he proceeded. “Well, you see, I was, um, making a fire-call with, um, Snuffles-”
Oh dear Merlin.
“-and I noticed his face was bruised and his nose looked broken.” He continued, eyes vividly green compared the darkness of the room. “And I asked him what happened, and he said he got hit by a car-“
What is Merlin and Jesus’s name ever so holy-
Severus had magically healed his busted lips and bruises as soon as he returned to his quarters, why hadn’t Black?!?
“-And since you pair seem to get along *somewhat* civilly, I was wondering if you could possibly, um, check on him to make sure he is alright-“
“Potter,” Severus said in a quiet way that always seems to unsettle his students, for he was rarely ever one to be quiet when he was angry- like a ticking time-bomb ready to explode. “Get out.”
Potter scrambled away faster than a speeding broom.
…
Severus does not see Black until three weeks later at the next order meeting, and despite Severus’s best attempts, he finds himself dragged and holed up with Black in the drawing room once again.
“Please, please please please Snape don’t do a runner on me!” Black has his hands up in the air again, and while Snape was tired of seeing that stupid surrender that Black always seemed to do around him, Severus also didn’t like getting called out for running away. So he stayed where he stood, gritting his teeth at the other man. At least Black seemed to have healed his wounds before the Order Meeting.
“Spit it out Black.” Severus used in the same tone as he had done with Potter weeks prior.
“Okay, okay,” Black ran a hand through his hair, and he somehow made it look effortlessly appealing; one of the many list of things that Severus despised about him. “I got us looking at horcrux texts to see if I could find a way to kill the horcrux *without* killing Harry.”
There was a pause between them, and Black decided to keep going. “And I’ve looked into every dark and light spell or ritual in existance, even to the point of reading medieval scrolls, but I think I am looking at it the wrong way.”
Black gestured to a book that sat on the loungeroom table, the title reading ‘The Most Wonderful Works of Shakespeare’.
“Then I think I found something. In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, which is a muggle text-“
Oh dear Merlin-
“You know that is a book filled with fictitious plays, honestly Black-“
“I know!” Sirius exclaimed, clutching the pendant that sat at his neck, his horcrux, his *soul*. “But everyone has heard the theory that Shakespeare was a wizard, and you know how they take a potion so that it seems like they are dead but it does not hurt them? What if we can replicate something like that, but it kills the horcrux within Harry instead? Without killing Harry.”
“You are making this process seem a lot simpler than it actually is. I cannot even test such a potion on anyone.”
“I know.” Black agreed, staring deep into Severus’s eyes. “But you are the youngest person to gain a potion mastery ever in Britain, not to mention exceptionally well-versed in the dark arts. You’ll figure something out.”
Severus was silent for a moment, before he answered. “But Albus-“
“-Doesn’t know shit.” Black growled, fists clenching the bottom of his shirt, as though to stop himself from grabbing something else. “Dumbledore wants to save as many people as possible. All I care about is saving the people that mean the most to me. I’ve already lost James and Lily, Marlenne and Mary, Frank and Alice.” Black’s visibly shaking now. “No more,” his voice shook, grief filling up every syllable of every word. “No more trying to save everyone, I am only going to protect the ones I care about the most.”
…
Severus works on his potion, for months on end, yet he feels no closer to when he started. Even with analysing ideas and theories with Black before r after what Severus can only call hate-sex. He thought only ex-partners only ever had that, not whatever… they are. Severus does not want to examine how close they seem to be getting, nor how soft Black is towards him after sex.
How Black cleans Snape’s weary body as his mind still buzzes from the aftermath of coming after an orgasm.
How Black plants soft feathery kisses all over Severus’s forehead, over every bite mark and bruise made during their love-making.
How Black makes him breakfast the next morning if Severus hasn’t left yet…
Even how Black has nursed him back to health once, when he had deliriously had turned up on Black’s doorstep after he had been cursed by the Dark Lord for making a minor error in judgement for a solid ten minutes.
Fearful grey eyes, the downturned mouth and a brow lined in worry, as he held Severus’s head in his lap on the loungeroom floor, tremors running through them both as Black cast several diagnostic spells, followed by every healing spell he knew.
…
Severus kills Dumbledore up upon the Astronomy tower.
Potter chases after him screaming.
The Dark Lord is most joyous at the death of his greatest foe.
Severus still gets crusio’ed anyway.
…
Black had a fight with Potter, or at least that’s what he told Severus. Had said something about how the adults had let him down, and how adults are meant to protect children.
Potter didn’t take it well, but he didn’t have much choice as he was sent to Italy along with Granger and her family via an illegal Portkey, with a promise to write. Weasley decided to stay in England with the rest of his family, hiding out in the countryside somewhere.
Black slid the fairytale book towards Severus, of which he had taken from Granger. “Voldemort’s after the deathly hallows.”
Severus snorted, “I believe that this book is even less based on reality than ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is, and that story is *appalling*.”
Sirius rolled his eye’s. “Yes I know, but listen; Harry has the invisibility cloak, that ring that did harm to Dumbledore? That was the Resurrection Stone- *that’s* why the Headmaster was so eager to wear it- and I believe that the Elder wand is still his possession… somewhere.”
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. “As ludicrous as that sounds, it seems to *somehow* make an awful lot of sense.”
“Exactly!” Sirus exclaimed putting down his chipped teacup as they both sat in the kitchen. He sits back, stares at Severus as he smiles, even as his eyes look tired.
Severus lets the smallest movement make an almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
Sirius grins right back at him, and despite the Dark Lord’s new reign, despite his new position as Headmaster of Hogwarts, despite the fact that he has to reign in the Carrows as well as complete several missions, including figuring out a potion that *won’t* kill Potter before the year is out, Severus can’t help but feel the tiniest of weight lifted off his chest.
…
The rented bedroom above the Hogs Head Inn had horrible pastel bedsheets, covering both of the beds as through to mock him. Severus couldn’t help but imagine the god-awful stains the pink and blue duvet is hiding underneath.
Sirius turns up not long after, looking a little worse for wear but alive nonetheless. He drops to sit beside Severus on the end of bed and drops the creased brown satchel next to him, wrapping a flannelette-covered arm around Severus’s shoulder as they stare at the door before, both too exhausted to form any further greeting.
“The potion?”
“I think I am getting close to reaching a breakthrough. But don’t get your hopes up.” Sirius squeezed Severus’s shoulder, and he knew Sirius was overjoyed to hear the news. “Your mission?”
With his free hand, Sirius spilled out the contents of the satchel over the bed. A broken cup, locket, diary, and ring fell onto the bed.
“Harry already got to the diary, and thanks to your help, after tracking down the cup, locket and ring, I was able to destroy them thanks to the help of you hand-delivering the sword in a nearby lake.” Sirius turned his head towards Severus, looking down at him with a faint smirk. “I see that your patronus looks awfully familiar, it almost looks like an exact replica of my animagus. I wonder why…”
Severus roughly pushed Sirius’s arm off his shoulder, the faintest tint of red to his cheeks. “Fuck off Black.”
Sirius laughed softly. “I love it when you say that, brings out your old cockney accent.” His expression soon turned sad however. “I have to admit though, I was shocked when I finally read the note Harry had found when he had gone on his last ‘soul-searching’ trip with the Headmaster… never thought Reggie had it in him…”
Severus brought Sirius back into a hug. He knew the signs of when Sirius was about to cry.
…
Sirius had been caught by Deatheater’s, it was bound to happen. But if you had told Severus that not even one year ago that he would willingly give up his spy status to save Sirius Orion Black? Not in his wildest dreams would he have ever imagined it.
But during the process, Severus had managed to send a killing curse at Nagini, instantly killing her as the Dark Lord screamed. Both Severus and Sirius fled.
…
Severus had finally made the potion.
Like a muggle vaccine; have a tiniest bit of basilisk venom run throughout the body for long enough to kill the Horcrux, followed by taking an anti-venom potion.
Sirius sent it to Harry with Severus’s clear instructions on how to take it, what side effects may occur, and if he had noticed any changes.
Five days later, a resp9onse arrives, with Potter ill but stable, and with the added benefit of losing the ability to look into Voldemort’s mind, but also not being able to talk to the tree snake that snuck Potter as he sat by a tree in some Italian vineyard the other day.
Sirius is thrilled, and Severus knows that they are close to finally putting an end to this god-forsaken war.
…
Snape stared back at Sirius, shocked. He finally found his ability to speak again, and despite what the anger grew for, grew for *who*, Severus still felt enraged by the entire thing.
“You chose *now*, while we are still on the run, to inform me, that the sacrifice you used to create your horcrux was my *father*!?!”
Sirius winced, “I, ah, I felt bad Sev, I have told you everything else but-“
The weird murder weapon, the comment that Sirius had made all those months ago-
“HE WAS NOT INNOCENT!” Sirius screamed, eyes flaring with pain as he swung his arm out, drink spilling all over the carpet. “FROM WHAT I GATHERED, HE WAS A FUCKING MEAN SPIRITED CUNT, JUST LIKE YOU!”
“Don’t you fucking dare call me Sev.” Severus’s voice was low and dangerous. “As soon as this war is over, you will either kill that horcrux or figure out some way to merge your soul back together.”
Sirius nodded solemnly. “Of course.”
They sat in an abandoned lot, near a muggle Tesco, the only light in the entire area coming from within the shop, splashing the nearest curb-side of the carpark in an unnatural white light.
Neither of them said a word that night, but Severus allowed Sirius to Big-spoon him when they headed to bed that night.
Severus was thankful that his father was dead, and Sirius knew it too.
He just hated the thought of a remnant of his father still lying around, especially so close, as to be around Sirius’s neck.
…
‘Daily Prophet
The One Year Anniversary of the Dark Lord’s Defeat
It has officially been one year since the defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort, by power couple Sirius Orion Black and Severus Tobius Snape.
Few details are known on what took place, only that Sirius Black was on the run for several months during 1997 and 1998, taking down Deatheater’s as he went. When Mr Black was captured by Deatheater’s at Malfoy Manor on the 3rd of March, 1998, it is said that Mr Snape came to rescue Mr Black, killing thirteen Deatheater’s in the process, ultimately changing the tide of the war.
All Order of Merlin Medal’s were received by Mr Black on behalf of himself and Mr Snape, and all crimes committed by both were cleared, with Mr Potter speaking up on behalf of Sirius Black’s trial; giving evidence on what really happened that night at Godric’s Hollow.
The final Battle took place in Hogsmead with both Severus Snape and Sirius Black fighting the Darkest Wizard of our age. It was Mr Snape, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, who killed the Dark Lord, sending forth a killing curse that ended the Dark Lord’s reign.
All crimes for using the unforgivables have been exempted for Mr Snape due to dire circumstances.
Mr Potter has also returned back to England seven months ago, the former defeater of the Dark Lord, and is set to marry Miss Ginny Weasley next June, though a particular date hasn’t been specified yet. Mr Potter has stated that he is proud of both his godfather and his former potion master’s bravery.
Plans are being made to resurrect a statue in Mr Snape’s and Mr Black’s honour, with ideas of the statue being placed at the centre of Hogsmead, with both of the wizards standing side-by-side holding hands, wands raised in the air. We tried to ask Mr Snape what he thought about this idea, and he merely gave us a few ‘choice’ words.
It is said that the pair are living in a cottage at a non-disclosed location somewhere in Scotland.
This is Rita Skeeter, your number one reporter of the Daily Prophet’